August 14, 2012

Exp. 32 Week 6: Experiments, Robotics and Spacewalk Preparations

August 12, 2012

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Week 6 of International Space Station Expedition 32 had a variety of activities in store for the crew of commander Gennady Padalka and flight engineers Joe Acaba, Sergei Revin, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide. The crew completed a series of science operations as well as maintenance and robotics. The week began on Monday August 6, 2012 with standard checks being completed by the Crew to make sure all systems aboard the station were in good shape and ready for the operations of the week. Sunita Williams donned a crew worn acoustic dosimeter for a 24-hour acoustic survey. She also readied batteries for upcoming science operations. Commander Gennady Padalka spent several hours in the Service Module outfitting, reviewing and then installing a manual antenna switch (RAP) for the Kurs-P (passive) autopilot system. Later, he performed an inventory and inspection of the Relaksatsiya Experiment that studies the structural dynamics of the Space Station. Also working on inventory tasks, Sergei Revin spent a major portion of his day auditing the onboard set of SMV Intermodular Ventilation equipment for the Pirs Docking Compartment, also taking documentary imagery. Joe Acaba performed activities with the Air Quality Monitor while Yuri Malenchenko completed nominal checks inside ATV-3 and started a 24-hour ECG (electrocardiogram) recording under the Russian MedOps Experiment Suite. Suni Williams had some time set aside to work in the US Airlock to terminate the Spacesuit Battery re-charge done in preparation for the next US EVA on August 30. Working in Kibo, Joe Acaba and Aki Hoshide used the Japanese Robotic Arm to maneuver the Exposed Pallet of HTV-3 to its install position to set the stage for H-II Transfer Vehicle External Cargo Operations that were completed over the course of the week. For all details about the Robotics that took place during Week 6 of Increment 32, refer to the HTV-3 Mission Updates Page. Later, Hoshide started a session with he JAXA Biological Rhythms 48/BIORHYTHMS experiment, his first. Suni Williams performed her 2nd session with the Reversible Figures RFx Experiment inside the Columbus Module.

This is an ESA-operated study that examines the adaptive nature of the human neuro-vestibular system in the processing of gravitational information related to 3D visual perception. The study involves pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight tests. After completing the experiment session, Williams conducted a 3.5hour inflight maintenance operation. She worked on the Water Recovery System 2 Rack’s Recycle Tank in Node-3 using the RFTA (Recycle Filter Tank Assembly) modification kit to modify WRS-2 to accept the RFTA and associated filters followed by the installation of the Recycle Tank for nominal Urine Processing Assembly operations. Revin removed old lighting fixtures inside the Russian Segment and replaced them with new ones while the other two Cosmonauts worked several hours on Progress M-16M Cargo Transfers. To finish the day, several crew members reviewed procedures of upcoming science and maintenance operations and Aki Hoshide started his first experiment session with the Diagnostic Kit measuring brainwaves for two back-to-back nights.Tuesday started with a Reaction Self Test Session for each of the USOS Crew Members. RST looks at the effects fatigue has on the crew member's performance during long duration space missions. Spending three hours reviewing Spacewalk procedures, Gennady Padalka and Yuri Malenchenko started preparations for the EVA, currently planned for August 20. Performing an Education/Public Outreach activity, Hoshide and Williams recorded themselves discussing & explaining spatial orientation in orbit. Meanwhile, Joe Acaba spent several hours performing a maintenance procedure on the Combustion Integrated Rack in the US Lab. He replaced the igniter tips and Needle 2 inside the Chamber Insert Assembly to prepare it for upcoming science operations following a new protocol. Sergei Revin performed inventory operations, updated stowage logs and inspected airflow sensors around the Russian Segment. The six ISS Crew Members joined later in the day to perform a one-hour ISS Toxic Emergency OBT (Onboard Training) exercise focusing on how to deal with toxic ammonia (NH3) release in order to get up to speed on associated contingency procedures. Aki Hoshide spent several hours inside the Quest Airlock removing equipment that is not needed for the upcoming US EVA to place the airlock in a configuration to support the Spacewalk. Padalka started his 2nd session of the standard 24-hour ECG recording under the PZE MO-2-1 protocol which monitors human cardiovascular performance in the space flight environment. Suni Williams prepared the VO2max equipment inside Columbus for the next session that she completed on Wednesday. To complete Tuesday's Operations, more Progress Transfers were made and a new round of procedure reviews was completed.

Wednesday was another busy day aboard the Space Station. The crew completed a series of hardware inspections and nominal maintenance operations. Also, more robotics associated with H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 took place. Suni Williams performed her next session with the VO2max experiment. During the experiment session, the crew members have to exercise on the CEVIS Treadmill while hardware is used to measure oxygen uptake, cardiac output, and more. The full name of the Experiment is Evaluation of Maximal Oxygen Uptake & Submaximal Estimates of VO2max before, during and after long-duration space station missions. The Russian Crew Members participated in medical exams related to the MedOps protocol. In addition, the crews completed more preparatory operations for the two upcoming spacewalks, both on the Russian and US Side.On Thursday, August 9, Suni Williams started her second session with the Pro-K study. The full name of this study is Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery. It involves crew members sticking to a low salt or high salt diet for five days, logging their food intake, collecting and analysing urine and blood samples and preparing samples for analysis on the ground. Pro-K was supported by Suni Williams throughout the week. On the Russian Segment, Padalka and Revin completed the SPRUT-2 experiment with Yuri Malenchenko taking documentary imagery. The SPRUT-2 Medical Assessment examines the distribution and behavior of body fluids in microgravity using different techniques. Joe Acaba and Aki Hoshide worked several hours inside Kibo to complete the installation of the Multi Mission Consolidated Equipment delivered via HTV's Exposed Pallet. Sergei Revin started a new round of periodic preventive maintenance of ventilation systems on the Russian Segment cleaning ducts and fan covers of ventilation outlets. Joe Acaba supported HTV internal cargo operations, completed his Space Headache Questionnaire, conducted the preventive inspection & cleaning operation of accessible AR (Atmosphere Revitalization) system bacteria filters in Node-1, Node-2 & Node-3 and he participated in a radio conference with stowage specialists in Houston. The Crew of Soyuz TMA-05M, Malenchenko, Williams & Hoshide performed the standard one-hour medical contingency OBT (Onboard Training) to get up to speed on procedures, coordination and communications necessary to perform medical emergency procedures. Suni Williams did a quick photo session of the YouTube SpaceLab deactivating CGBA-5 (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 5) and photographing the six GAPs (Group Activation Packs). This experiment studies how bacteria grow in space to see if different nutrients can block the growth. It was selected as one of two experiments to fly to ISS via a world-wide contest held on YouTube. She later performed a session with the BASS Experiment in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. BASS stands for Burning and Suppression of Solids and uses SLICE Hardware to examine solid fuel samples and flame behavior in space leading to better combustion technology, both on Earth and in Space as well as better strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in micro-G. Padalka and Malenchenko completed more preparations for their upcoming Spacewalk.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

The three USOS Residents each completed a session each with the Health Maintenance Systems / Visual Acuity program using an eye chart and an eye questionnaire to assess the state of the crew member's vision. Aki Hoshide serviced the Anomalous Long Term Effects on Astronauts Shield payload, removing the installed radiation shielding tiles and replacing them with a second type of shielding tiles for study. Before going to bed, Gennady Padalka initiated his next session of the Sonokard Sleep Study.Friday started for the Commander with the termination of that Sonokard session, for Suni Williams with Pro-K activities and for Aki Hoshide with HTV-3 Transfers. Working together inside the Cupola, Williams and Acaba controlled the Station's Robotic Arm to move the HTV Exposed Pallet back inside the Unpressurized Logistics Carrier of the vehicle after Payload Operations were completed earlier in the week. On the Russian Segment, preventive maintenance continued and regular water transfers took place. Also, the quarterly inspection and maintenance of the TVIS Treadmill was performed by Sergei Revin. Padalka and Malenchenko completed another EVA procedures review. In addition, they prepared the TEKh-44 Sfera (Sphere) satellite which they will deploy during their spacewalk. For that, they had to install a handle on the deployment tool and insert the satellite into the tool. To make sure the system is in operating condition, they simulated the deployment procedure taking documentary photos. They also prepared a video of the satellite in which they depicted and described the payload as part of E/PO activities. The CDR also readied the BIO-2 Biorisk-MSN hardware kit for the external installation of the experiment during the EVA-31. Working inside the Kibo Module, Joe Acaba performed another session with the CFE VG2 (Capillary Flow Experiments / Vane Gap 2) experiment which is one of many material science studies in progress aboard the space station. Aki Hoshide had 6.5 hours set aside to inspect a total of 13 Portable Fire Extinguishers, 21 Portable Breathing Apparatuses and 26 Quick-Don Mask Assemblies as well as 6 Extension Hose Tee Kits. All these pieces of equipment have to be maintained aboard ISS to meet the highest space flight safety standards. More Progress Cargo Operations were completed on the Russian Side. Suni Williams started her next ESA Integrated Cardiovascular Ambulatory Monitoring Session. The ICV Experiment involves periodic resting Echo Ultrasound-Scans and ambulatory monitoring sessions to evaluate the extent, time course, and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and identify its mechanisms. Sergei Revin updated the Station's inventory system and he performed a 30-minute Seiner Earth Observation Session. Suni Williams serviced the YouTube SpaceLab Payload one again and filled out her Food Frequency Questionnaire. The crew held their weekly tagup with the Russian Main Flight Control Team and performed minor activities before starting a well-deserved weekend. Weekend activities aboard the station were nominal. The crew continued to support essential science operations and performed daily inspections. On Saturday, after completing another session with the Reaction Self Test, the entire crew joined forces to conduct the weekly Uborka House-Cleaning. During the operation, often touched surfaces are cleaned and trash or no-longer-needed items are removed from the work space. Also, the crew talked to ground centers around the world to look at upcoming ISS Operations and open items.

HTV-3 External Cargo Operations completed aboard ISS

August 11, 2012

Expedition 32 Week 5: Fast-Line Rendezvous and Science Operations

August 7, 2012

Although the International Space Station was not getting as much attention during Week 5 of Expedition 32 because major events were unfolding further out into space with NASA's Mars Science Laboratory Mission making its final approach and a successful landing, the Space Station was as busy as usual. The crew of six continued nominal science and maintenance operations and they supported the Express Rendezvous and Docking of the Progress M-16M resupply Spacecraft on Wednesday and Thursday.

But as usual, we start from the beginning of the week which was July 30, 2012. On that day, sleep cycles aboard the station were somewhat out of control for the three Russians - each one being on a different schedule to support the action-packed operation involving Progress M-15M that just re-docked on Sunday. The crew had to open hatches, remove trash to access the vehicle and remove the KURS-NA Avionics box to stow it on ISS for future return to Earth. A major task that had to be accomplished in just 24 hours with trash being moved back into the vehicle, hatches closed and nominal leak checks complete, so that an on-time undocking could occur. Progress M-15M departed ISS for the final time on 21:19 GMT on Monday after a busy week of operations. Refer to the appropriate mission section for a full run-down of events.Being on normal cycles, the USOS Crew started their week with a session of the Reaction Self Test. The Reaction Self Test involves two daily sessions with a computer application - once after getting up and once when the day's work is complete - to examine the effects fatigue has on crew members undergoing long duration space flights.

Photo: NASA

Sunita Williams started her first Session of the Pro-K study. During recent weeks, Acaba and Hoshide had both completed their Pro-K Sessions and now it was Suni's turn picking up with the Flight Day 15 Suite of Sessions. For Pro-K, crewmembers prepare a diet log and record quantities of food packets consumed and supplements taken. Also part of the study are 24-hour urine collection periods that are stored in ISS Freezers after pH testing is completed. Blood samples are drawn on the 5th and final day of each run and are put into MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) as well. The full name of Pro-K is Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery. While not working inside Progress, Yuri Malenchenko serviced Russian Life Support Systems and Sergei Revin completed a series of house-keeping operations around the Russian Segment. He also performed his 3rd Pnevmokard Session. This study looks at the cardiorespiratory system by recording electrocardiogram, impedance cardiogram, low-frequency phonocardiogram (seismocardiogram), pneumotachogram (using nose temperature sensors), and finger photoplethismogram. during the 70-minute session, the crew member is not allowed to talk or move and has to remain at complete rest. H-II Transfer Vehicle Cargo Operations were worked by Joe Acaba and Suni Williams for several hours. An activity Suni completed daily throughout the week was servicing the Spider Habitat feeding its two residents and taking imagery of activity of the spiders.

Photo: NASA

Meanwhile, Aki Hoshide started the German Experiment CRHYT (Circadian Rhythms). " The main objective of the experiment is to get a better basic understanding of any alterations in circadian rhythms in humans during long-term space flights. Such knowledge will not only provide important insights into the adaptations of the human autonomic nervous system in space over time, but also has significant practical implications by helping to improve physical exercise, rest- and work shifts as well as fostering adequate workplace illumination in the sense of occupational healthcare in future space missions. The Circadian Rhythms experiment is performed over 3 days," the official Experiment description notes.

On Tuesday, everybody had returned to a nominal sleep pattern and the crew supported studies such as Pro-K, the structural dynamics study 'Identification' and BCAT-1. For BCAT, Joe Acaba studied reference material and procedures before performing the actual experiment one day later. BCAT-1 is one of many material science studies aboard ISS. It looks at entropically-driven colloidal crystallization, melting, self-organization, and phase separation of systems. Yuri Malenchenko made his second run with the MBI-28 Xromatomass (Chromatomass) Spectrometry experiment with analysis of saliva & blood samples. Acaba and Williams spent more time inside HTV-3 performing more cargo transfers. The Commander, Gennady Padalka was busy with nominal maintenance operations such as water transfers and inspections. He also replaced aging components in the Russian Water System. Joe Acaba working inside Columbus to configure the SLAMMD (Space Linear Acceleration Mass Measurement Device) equipment to measure his body mass, followed by Williams and Hoshide. The Russian Crew Members went through their nominal Docking-1 Preparations on Tuesday in anticipation for the arrival of Progress M-16M. They worked with the TORU Simulator to refresh procedures required for a manual docking and they configured the TV System to support the docking. At that time, the other crew members were busy completing science operations. Hoshide performed leg ultrasounding as part of the SPRINT Exercise Protocol, he completed a a session with the Japanese psychological POMS (Profile of Mood States) experiment (completing a questionnaire) and he reviewed procedures for his first ESA Ultrasound vessel Imaging Session. Suni Williams worked with the Spider Habitat and Joe Acaba conducted experiment operations with the Advanced Colloids Experiment on the Fluids Integrated Rack. On the Russian Side, more maintenance was completed and Fight Engineer Sergei Revin performed his next session with the Interactions Study. Interactions has the ultimate goal to improve the ability of future crew members to interact safely and effectively with each other and with Mission Control. To finish the day, some minor tasks and hardware reconfigurations were completed by the crew. On Wednesday, August 1, the crew split again and worked in shifts with the USOS Crew sticking to normal sleep-wake schedules while the Russians adjusted their sleep cycles to support the docking of Progress M-16M. Sunita Williams had day three of her current Pro-K Session and Hoshide also reached Day three of CRHYT which meant he was able to terminate the session and downlink the data. Subsequently, Hoshide went to the US Lab performing his first ICV (Integrated Cardiovascular) Resting Echo Scan in the US Lab, assisted by Joe Acaba as crew medical officer. The ESA-operated ICV Experiment involves periodic resting Echo Ultrasound-Scan and ambulatory monitoring sessions to evaluate the extent, time course, and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and identify its mechanisms. While having the equipment set up, Hoshide also underwent his first in-flight ESA Vessel Imaging ultrasound scans. Before starting docking operations, the Russian Team completed inspections on the RS of the Station. Padalka completed a Pnevmokard session while the other two performed inspections. The Commander also conducted another 'Interactions' Session. Inside Kibo, Aki Hoshide serviced the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility / Marangoni Inside Payload which is used for material science studies. Another Materials Science Experiment was also supported by Sunita Williams who worked several hours with the Advanced Colloids Experiment in the Fluids Integrated Rack Fluid & Combustion Facility. To finish the day, the team had a short emergency procedures training session associated with HTV-3 contingency operations. When the USOS Crew had finished their day, the Russian Crew Members supported the Progress M-16M that was sent on the fast-lane to the Space Station after being launched atop a Soyuz-U from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Rendezvous and Docking was nominal and Progress M-16M arrived at ISS on time for its busy resupply mission. Please visit the Progress Updates Site for the full docking story.On Thursday, experiment operations continued aboard the complex. Suni Williams continued her Pro-K session while Aki Hoshide performed the Sprint VO2max Experiment for the first time. During the experiment session, the crew members have to exercise on the CEVIS Treadmill while hardware is used to measure oxygen uptake, cardiac output, and more.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

The full name of the Experiment is Evaluation of Maximal Oxygen Uptake & Submaximal Estimates of VO2max before, during and after long-duration space station missions. The Spiders were taken care of by Joe Acaba who performed the day's Spider Habitat Servicing and Observations. The Russian Crew Members were busy with Progress M-16M Leak Checks, hatch opening and ingress as well as outfitting operations. They prepared the vehicle for its stay aboard the complex by installing sensor equipment and deactivating the spacecraft. The BCAT-5 liquid separation study and its samples that have been undisturbed since October 2011 was photographed by Suni Williams who later completed her first session of the Kinematics Exercise Protocol on the T2 Treadmill. Hoshide and Acaba assembled new Portable Breathing Apparatus bottles and replaced those that are expiring. The regularly completed Food Frequency Questionnaires were filled out by Acaba and Hoshide to finish the day.Friday started with the Reaction Self test for the three USOS Astronauts again. Flight Engineer Suni Williams finished her first Pro-K Study and processed the final samples and downlinked diet log data. It was Joe Acaba's turn again to service the Spider Habitat that always involves a deactivation-activation cycle of Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 4. Hoshide teamed up with Williams and both performed their first session with the periodic 30-min US PHS (Periodic Health Status)/Without Blood Labs exam. Commander Gennady Padalka took photos of the docking system that was used for the Progress Docking to enable engineers to make sure no damage has occurred. Yuri Malenchenko had more time reserved to work inside the Progress to get it ready for cargo operations. Sergei Revin serviced the Identification Payload downloading data for downlink to the ground. The trio of Cosmonauts spent several hours with Progress Cargo Operations moving science payloads and samples to environmentally controlled facilities aboard the Station. Inside Kibo, Aki Hoshide performed some maintenance operations before being joined by Joe Acaba to prepare for robotics operations associated with HTV-3's external payloads. Hoshide configured two Actiwatches for the JAXA experiment BR48 (Biological Rhythms 48/BIORHYTHMS) experiment performed by him and Williams. The weekend aboard ISS was normal with the crew being off duty and only performing essential science tasks and servicing ongoing long-term studies. On Saturday, the weekly ISS house-cleaning was conducted by the entire crew. The crew members had time for their weekly private family video conferences on Sunday.

Progress M-16M arrives at ISS after Express Rendezvous

August 2, 2012

The Progress M-16M Resupply Spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station after a flawless docking following the abbreviated Rendezvous Profile that was tested on this flight for the first time. The Vehicle launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Soyuz-U Rocket at 19:35 GMT on August 1 and was delivered on a 4-Orbit Rendezvous Trajectory featuring a compressed RNDZ Timeline. The Spacecraft conducted four major Rendezvous Burns before starting the nominal automated Rendezvous Sequence as planned at 23:02 GMT. The Approach to the Space Station was nominal and Progress M-16M made a perfect Flyaround and Final Approach. Docking was on-time at 1:18 GMT on Thursday, August 2 - just 5 hours and 43 minutes after blastoff. This docking sets the stage for Progress Cargo operations as the M-16M vehicle is delivering a total of 2,639 Kilograms of cargo to ISS.

Expedition 32 Week 4: Busy Visiting Vehicle Operations unfold at ISS

July 29, 2012

Photo: NASA

The fourth Week of International Space Station Expedition 32 was packed with a variety of activities for the current crew led by Commander Gennady Padalka. The remaining Russian crew members Sergei Revin and Yuri Malenchenko as well as the three USOS Residents Joe Acaba (USOS Lead for Increment 32), Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide, have been busy supporting ISS Science and Maintenance as well as a bulk of visiting vehicle operations involving Progress M-15M and H-II Transfer Vehicle 3. For detailed information on these two Spacecraft and their respective Missions, please visit the appropriate Mission Updates Sections: Progress M-15M and HTV-3 On Monday, the International Space Station saw a first of its kind with its crew splitting into two halves working on different sleep cycles to allow the Russian crew members to support the initial Re-Docking Attempt of Progress M-15M. The day started with ongoing Pro-K activities for Joe Acaba who was completing Day 4 of his current Pro-K Session and Aki Hoshide who was performing his second day of his first Pro-K Session. For Pro-K, crewmembers prepare a diet log and record quantities of food packets consumed and supplements taken.

Also part of the study are 24-hour urine collection periods that are stored in ISS Freezers after pH testing is completed. Blood samples are drawn on the 5th and final day of each run and are put into MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) as well. The full name of Pro-K is Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery. In his early shift on Monday, Gennady Padalka performed nominal inspections, he assisted Yuri Malenchenko who made his first run with the MBI-28 Xromatomass (Chromatomass) Spectrometry experiment with analysis of saliva & blood samples and Gennady serviced the TEKh-22 “Identifikatsiya” (Identification) inside Rassvet. This Payload records measurements of structural dynamics aboard the Space Station. Malenchenko and Padalka tested the TORU System in preparation for the Progress docking and went through a 3-hour refresher of associated procedures to be ready to assume remote control of the Progress should any failure of is navigation system should have occurred in close proximity of ISS. Meanwhile, Sergei Revin had 2.5 hours of preventive maintenance operations on his schedule cleaning ventilation systems aboard the Russian Segment.

Joe Acaba completed some Crew Health Care Systems emergency medical operations On-Board Training. He also performed the regular extended maintenance on the Waste & Hygiene Compartment changing out expendable components to keep the USOS Facilities in good shape. Acaba and Hoshide performed another round of HTV Grapple Simulations to prepare for its Rendezvous and Capture taking place on Friday, July 27. Sunita Williams conducted acoustic dosimeter operations, setting the dosimeters up for static measurements in several locations aboard ISS. She also activated the Microgravity Science Glovebox inside Destiny to perform another Experiment Session with BASS. BASS stands for Burning and Suppression of Solids and uses SLICE Hardware to examine solid fuel samples and flame behavior in space leading to better combustion technology, both on Earth and in Space as well as better strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in micro-G. Williams and Hoshide reviewed procedures with the ESA Integrated Cardiovascular Study that was on tap later in the week. The rest of the day was spent with minor reconfigurations and maintenance operations. In the overnight hours (GMT), the crew supported the Re-Docking Attempt of Progress M-15M to test the new KURS-NA Rendezvous System. KURS-NA failed and the Progress performed a passive abort, drifting by the Station at a safe distance. After analysis of the problem, the next Re-Docking Attempt was made on Saturday. All information on the Progress M-15M Mission can be found here.On Tuesday, the crew continued to work in shifts with sleep cycles syncing up on Wednesday once again. On July 24, ongoing Pro-K activities continued for Acaba and Hoshide. Suni Williams continued the nominal acoustic survey procedures, distributing crew-worn acoustic dosimeters to the crew of Soyuz TMA-05M. She also set up computers inside the cupola in preparation for HTV-3's Rendezvous on Friday. Joe Acaba completed Water Recovery System Sampling and a 5-hour run with the Air Quality Monitor. He also prepared the equipment needed to install the Node 2 Centerline Camera in preparation for HTV berthing.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Aki Hoshide and Suni Williams worked inside the Columbus Module to start their first Integrated Cardiovascular operations. The ESA-operated ICV Experiment involves periodic resting Echo Ultrasound-Scan and ambulatory monitoring sessions to evaluate the extent, time course, and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and identify its mechanisms. Hoshide started a 48-hour monitoring session while Williams was assisted by Acaba for the Resting Echo Scan. She also underwent her first session of ESA Vessel Imaging (Echography) Ultrasound 2 scans. Aki Hoshide later serviced the two MERLIN (Microgravity Experiment Research Locker Incubator) freezers. The new ISS Crew (Soyuz TMA-05M) has an hour for general orientation and handover operations. Suni Williams and Joe Acaba had another time slot reserved each for making entries in their electronic Journals which are part of a NASA investigation on the psychological state of crew members undergoing long duration missions. The Russian Crew Members supported a PAO Event and took care of some maintenance and hardware support items on the Russian Segment. With schedules back to normal on Wednesday, the six crew members worked through a nominal day completing maintenance and science operations. Aki Hoshide supported his current Pro-K Session while Joe Acaba and Suni Williams were inside Columbus performing Acaba's second ICV Resting Echo Scan with Williams acting as Crew Medical Officer. On the Russian Side, Sergei Revin resumed preventive maintenance operations for several hours before preparing for more window inspections. Yuri Malenchenko completes his first Tipologia Session. The Russian-Operated study looks at typological features of operator activity of the ISS crews in long-term space flight phases, with the subject using a cap with electroencephalogram electrodes. During the experiment session the crewmember completes the Lüscher test and the games Minesweeper and Tetris. ISS Acoustic Surveys continued with the Crew of Soyuz TMA-04M being handed crew-worn acoustic dosimeters by Suni Williams. Gennady Padalka took care of some electronics maintenance, performed inventory operations and conducted the routine daily servicing of the SOZh system (Environment Control & Life Support System, ECLSS) in the Zvezda service Module. Working with Sergei Revin, Gennady Padalka changed out lighting fixtures in the DC-1 Docking Compartment. Joe Acaba reviewed HTV-3 Cargo Transfer Lists and performed a cargo transfer conference with Suni Williams, Aki Hoshide and teams on the ground. Padalka, Malenchenko, Williams & Hoshide joined for the Onboard Training drill of familiarizing themselves with Integrated Emergency Hardware. Later, the Commander serviced the Identification Payload. Two hours were spent by Joe Acaba completing a Photosynch Mapping session taking a series of images to enable ground teams to get a full picture of the interior of the Space Station. The crew also took care of more minor reconfigurations and Acaba & Williams had another Journaling Session.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Thursday started with a Session of the Reaction Self Test for the three USOS Residents after all the sleep shifts that took place earlier in the week. The Reaction Self Test involves two daily sessions with a computer application - once after getting up and once when the day's work is complete - to examine the effects fatigue has on crew members undergoing long duration space flights. CDR Padalka worked on the SSVP docking mechanism of ATV-3 checking the ZVB quick-release screw clamps that were installed after docking. Aki Hoshide had his 5th and final day of his Pro-K Session completing final diet logging and sampling operations. Suni Williams completed the SPRINT Leg Scan Protocol assisted by Joe Acaba as CMO. " SPRINT (Integrated Resistance and Aerobic Training Study) evaluates the use of high intensity, low volume exercise training to minimize loss of muscle, bone, and cardiovascular function in ISS crewmembers during long-duration missions," a NASA Report notes. Later in the day, Gennady Padalka set up the “Relaksatsiya” (Relaxation) Earth Observation payload for ground-commanded operations to acquire spectral and photographic imagery of Earth’s surface and atmosphere. Revin performed checkouts of several systems on the Russian Segment including Air Flow Sensors and Radiation Dosimetry Payloads. In preparation for HTV-3 Rendezvous and Capture, Joe Acaba configured the Cupola Robotics Work Station and attempted to calibrate the cameras for the HTV Approach which failed twice after which ground teams and Acaba gave up accepting the system 'as is'. The three USOS crew members each had one hour for a POC DOUG (Portable Onboard Computers / Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics) review of Canadrarm2 operations required for HTV-3 Capture and Berthing. Meanwhile, Yuri Malenchenko worked with the BAR payload of science sensor for two hours conducting air temperature and humidity monitoring to obtain data needed for shell micro-destruction rate prediction and to develop measures to extend station life. Joe Acaba performed preventive maintenance in the three Nodes before working inside Kibo to support Mission Control Tsukuba with a self test of the HTV Control Panel.

Aki Hoshide concluded his 48-hour ICV monitoring session and downloaded data from the actiwatches before reconfiguring the equipment. All six crew members performed a 45-minute ISS simulator emergency drill practicing contingency response operations. On Friday, the entire USOS Crew had their entire day blocked out for HTV-3 operations: monitoring its Rendezvous, capturing it with the Robotic Arm, moving the grappled vehicle to its port at Harmony Nadir and performing first and second stage capture as well as vestibule outfitting to prepare the vehicle for ingress on Saturday. All operations were by the book, HTV-3 made a flawless Rendezvous and was successfully captured by the robotic arm. Berthing was also uneventful and the crew got ahead of the timeline finishing all Vestibule outfitting operations on Friday. A detailed account of all HTV-3 related Events can be found here.

The three Russian crew members supported nominal Space Station operations on Friday. Before breakfast, Padalka, Malenchenko & Revin completed the periodic pre-breakfast session of the Russian biomedical routine assessment PZEh-MO-7/Calf Volume Measurement. They were joined by the USOS crew for a short while to complete Body Mass Measurements on all six Expedition 32 crew members. These measurements are important for several ISS Human Research Studies looking at the effects of long duration space flight on the human body. Gennady Padalka completed a 70-minute session with the Russian Pnevmokard Experiment that looks at the cardiorespiratory system by recording electrocardiogram, impedance cardiogram, low-frequency phonocardiogram (seismocardiogram), pneumotachogram (using nose temperature sensors), and finger photoplethismogram. Later, Gennady took two hours to study technical documents to prepare for his task of removing the troublesome KURS-NA System from Progress M-15M for eventual return to the ground for further investigations of the hardware. Sergei Revin continued ongoing maintenance operations of Russian Ventilation Systems. Malenchenko completed his first On-Orbit Hearing Assessment. He and Padalka later spent 2 hours with the BAR Sensor Suite conducting air temperature and humidity monitoring in areas behind panels inside Zarya. Malenchenko also had time for a Seiner Earth Observation Session obtaining camcorder footage and still imagery of color bloom patterns in the waters of the Central-Eastern Atlantic and coastal Africa. Service Window inspections were performed by Sergei Revin while the other two crew members spent one hour filming more Chronicle Footage needed for a TV Documentary on ISS Operations produced by Telekanal Roscosmos. On Saturday, July 28, the crew split in two halves again for Progress M-15M Re-Docking Attempt 2 Support. The USOS Crew opened HTV-3's hatch and completed initial ingress operations including visual inspections and air sampling to make sure HTV-3 was safe for cargo operations. The three crew members removed initial cargo out of HTV-3 with one of the first items being the YouTube SpaceLab payload with its live spiders. The Payload was installed in its Spider Habitats 1 & 2 on Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus. The crew fed the spiders and acquired initial footage of the activity going on inside the habitats.

*HTV File Image* Photo: NASA

Later, the three crew members gave up their free time to complete 12 crew hours of HTV Cargo Operations as part of voluntary operations. Originally, HTV-3 Cargo Operations were planned to start on Monday. In the overnight hours (GMT) the three Russian Crew Members were standing by to support the Progress M-15M making its Rendezvous Attempt 2. This time, everything was by the book and Progress M-15M performed a flawless Rendezvous with Contact and Capture occurring at 1:01 GMT on Sunday. All information on the Progress Activities are available here.On Sunday, the three USOS crew members completed their portion of the weekly Uborka House Cleaning. They removed trash from the work space of the US Segment and cleaned often touched surfaces and took care of minor reconfigurations of on board equipment. The three Russian Crew Members had a busy day to complete a series of Progress M-15M Operations. They had to perform that standard leak checks, open the hatches, remove the docking system and configure the vehicle for docked operations. Then, they had to remove trash from the Cargo Carrier in order to access the KURS-NA Avionics. Gennady Padalka had about six hours reserved to remove the electronics. Afterwards, the plan called for all trash being put inside the Progress again and hatches to be closed in preparation for final undocking on Monday. This marked the end of an amazingly eventful week aboard ISS with crew members having essentially no free time due to events progressing at a fast pace. Things won't slow down next week when HTV-3 Cargo Operations will get underway again and Progress M-15M is departing ISS to make Room for the next Progress that is set to arrive on August 2.

HTV-3 arrives at ISS; Progress M-15M gets a second Chance

July 27, 2012

Japan's third H-II Transfer Vehicle has arrived at the International Space Station on Friday, July 27, 2012. HTV-3 was captured by the Space Station's Robotic Arm at 12:23 GMT. Shortly after the vehicle was captured, operations to berth it to the Station's Harmony Module got underway with second stage capture occurring at 14:34 GMT - marking the official arrival of HTV-3 aboard ISS to start a busy resupply mission.>>>HTV-3 Mission Updates

Following the aborted Re-Docking of Progress M-15M, Russian Engineers have successfully activated and tested the KURS-NA System that failed while the Spacecraft was beginning its Rendezvous with ISS on July 24 and caused Progress M-15M to switch to its abort mode. Re-Docking is now planned for 1:00 GMT on July 29 marking the start of a short stay aboard ISS for the vehicle that will make its final undocking on July 30.>>>Progress M-15M Mission Updates

HTV File Image - Photo. NASA

Expedition 32 - Week 3: Station Crew topped up to Six

July 23, 2012

Photo: NASA

The third week of International Space Station Expedition 32 saw the arrival of three new crew members to kick off a busy schedule planned for the coming weeks. Yuri Malenchenko, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide arrived aboard the Station on Tuesday, July 17 to top up the crew of Commander Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin and Joe Acaba. The rest of the week was dedicated to crew handover, ISS Maintenance and Science Operations. Starting the week on Monday, July 16, the three crew members had a shortened 9.5-hour day to accommodate the Docking of Soyuz TMA-05M on Tuesday. After wakeup, the two Russian crew members completed nominal inspections on the Russian Segment that are done every Monday. Later, all three crew members joined and donned their Sokol Launch and entry Suits to perform the standard fit-check of their Kazbek Seat Liners inside the Descent module of their Soyuz TMA-04M Spacecraft. Joe Acaba completed his third session with the WinSCAT psychological evaluation.

WinSCAT stands for Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows and is a computer based psychological evaluation that investigates concentration, verbal working memory, attention, short-term memory, spatial processing, and math skill of humans exposed to microgravity for extended periods of time. Sergei Revin spent some time to service the Matryoshka-R payload suite that consists of radiation dosimeters that record radiation exposure of the interior of the Station. In preparation for the arrival of H-II Transfer Vehicle 3, Acaba configured the laptop-based HTV ROBoT trainer and started it up for a training session for HTV-3 rendezvous & capture procedures. He also worked inside Kibo on EXPRESS Rack 5 recovering its utility drawer by checking its condition and that of the drawer lid latches. Progress M-15M was used to top up the Station's oxygen, completing a 1-hour O2 Repress. Gennady Padalka started another round of preventive maintenance on the Russian Side, cleaning ventilation systems and fans. Acaba performed a Vision Check and he closed the Cupola Window Shutters in preparation for Soyuz docking. He also had a time slot available for making entries in his electronic journal which is part of a psychological investigation conducted by NASA. As part of their sleep shift, the three crew members got up early on Tuesday to support the Soyuz TMA-05M Rendezvous and docking. The Soyuz Spacecraft completed a flawless Rendezvous and Docking in automated mode using its KURS Navigation System. Docking to the Rassvet Module occurred on July 17, at 4:51 GMT marking the arrival of Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams and Akihiko Hoshide aboard the Orbiting Complex. Docking was by the book marking the end of the 2-day free flight of the Soyuz Vehicle that performed flawlessly from launch to docking. Aboard the Station, the three Crew Members of Expedition 31/32, Gennady Padalka, Sergei Revin and Joe Acaba, supported the docking by monitoring systems and acquiring images of the Soyuz Vehicle and its docking system for technical evaluations. Going through nominal procedures, the teams on both sides of the hatch completed the standard leak check before hatches were opened and the new crew members were welcomed aboard. The entire crew participated in the traditional ceremony of speaking to representatives of the participating Space Agencies and family members present at the Mission Control Center in Korolev just outside of Moscow. Afterwards, Gennady Padalka performed the obligatory safety briefing for the new crew. He discussed stowage locations of emergency equipment, emergency routes and ISS Contingency Procedures. Later, the Soyuz TMA-05M Vehicle was deactivated by its Commander, Yuri Malenchenko and the Sokol Suits of the new crew members were serviced by Williams and Hoshide. Also, time-critical cargo items were transferred to ISS for stowage in environmental controlled locations.

Williams, Hoshide and Malenchenko spent the rest of their day getting the crew quarters ready and gathering their personal items to get settled in their new home for the next few months. Padalka and Revin used the KPT-2 Payload and its BAR Science Instruments for another round of air temperature and humidity monitoring in the Russian Segment to support ISS Problem Area Identification and Monitoring. This is done to extend the Station's lifetime in orbit. Revin serviced the ASU Toilet Facility on the Russian Segment and Joe Acaba serviced Fluid Physics Experiment Facility / Marangoni Inside Payload inside Kibo. The Commander completed an Interactions Experiment Session to complete his work day. Interactions has the ultimate goal to improve the ability of future crew members to interact safely and effectively with each other and with Mission Control. To finish up their first day aboard the Station, the new crew members completed their post-launch medical conferences before calling it a day. [For all details on the Soyuz TMA-05M Docking, visit the Soyuz Mission Updates Page.] Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 ignited its Orbit Correction System Thrusters at 3:16 GMT on July 18, on a 19-minute, 25-second burn. The maneuver changed the Station's velocity by 2.85 meters per second and raised its mean altitude by 4.98 Kilometers leaving the complex in a 397.9 by 408.5-Kilometers Orbit. This marked the first time ISS was at a mean altitude greater than 400 Kilometers (403.2km). The purpose of the Reboost was to set up proper phasing for the Progress M-16M Rendezvous and Docking. With the Reboost completed overnight, the Station crew woke up on Wednesday orbiting Earth above 400km Mean Altitude for the first time. The day started with a Reaction Self Test Session for the three USOS Residents. The Reaction Self Test involves two daily sessions with a computer application - once after getting up and once when the day's work is complete - to examine the effects fatigue has on crew members undergoing long duration space flights.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

Gennady Padalka checked airflow sensors and completed regular urine transfer operations. Flight Engineer 2, Sergei Revin, initiated a run of the Relaksatsiya Earth Observation Study and performed a 90-minute session with the BAR Instrument Suite measuring air temperature and humidity. The three US Segment Crew Members completed their first joint session of HTV Grapple Preparations using a computer simulation. Yuri Malenchenko spent a major part of his day inside Soyuz TMA-05M completing cargo operations, vehicle reconfigurations and housekeeping tasks such as the installation of sensors and instruments inside the Orbital Module. In the Microgravity Science Glovebox, Williams worked on the new InSPACE-3 (Investigating the Structure of Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions) experiment, using the BCAT-3 magnet to initiate the vial assemblies by evenly distributing the floating particles. She also completed her first WinSCAT Session. Gennady Padalka set up the FSS Photo Spectrum System as a window of the Russian Segment to acquire footage of the flooding area in the Russian Kuban region to support assessments of contamination and degree of natural destruction. Revin performed his 4th Interactions Session and completed a medical conference. The three new crew members had an hour of free time for general orientation. Suni Williams reviewed procedures for the BASS experiment that she conducted on Thursday. Other activities on Wednesday included tagups with Mission Managers and a PAO Event.On Thursday, the Station Crew's day was again dedicated to science and maintenance operations. Gennady Padalka resumed operations with the FSS Suite to obtain more imagery of flooding areas. He also performed the Tipologia behavioral assessment.

Photo: NASA

The study looks at typological features of operator activity of the ISS crews in long-term space flight phases, with the subject using a cap with electroencephalogram electrodes. During the experiment session the crewmember completes the Lüscher test and the games Minesweeper and Tetris. Padalka and Malenchenko worked inside Progress M-15M to get the vehicle ready for undocking, removing the two ruchek handles on the external side of the 47P hatch and installing the docking system while Sergei Revin completed Progress Cargo Operations. Suni Williams worked in the US Lab to perform a session with the BASS Experiment in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. BASS stands for Burning and Suppression of Solids and uses SLICE Hardware to examine solid fuel samples and flame behavior in space leading to better combustion technology, both on Earth and in Space as well as better strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in micro-G. Acaba and Hoshide performed another practice session in preparation for the arrival of HTV-3 going through procedures used during misaligned approaches.

They also simulated berthing procedures as part of nominal on-orbit training. Yuri Malenchenko completed more Soyuz Cargo Operations and Sergei Revin resumed window inspections on the Russian Segment. Inside Node-3, Acaba and Hoshide performed the Waste & Hygiene Compartment Maintenance as part of Crew Handover activities. Spending one hour, the entire crew completed a Crew Emergency Roles & Responsibilities Review to familiarize themselves with emergency roles & responsibilities as a 6-person crew, including escape routes and contingency response procedures. Preparing for the Progress M-15M Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence, the two Soyuz Commanders checked the TORU System that enables crew members aboard ISS to take control over an approaching Progress Vehicle in case its automated navigation system encounters any problems. Acaba opened the protective window shutters of the Lab WORF (Window Observational Research Facility) for the ISSAC (ISS Agriculture Camera) equipment and activated the ISSAC laptop, so ground images can be captured by ground commanding. Overnight, Malechenko completed his first Sonokard Session. The Sonokard Study evaluates new methods for conducting sleep studies aboard the station with more compact hardware.

In the morning on Friday, Malenchenko terminated his Sonokard Session. Joe Acaba began his 2nd in-flight suite of sessions with the Pro-K Experiment. For Pro-K, crewmembers prepare a diet log and record quantities of food packets consumed and supplements taken. Also part of the study are 24-hour urine collection periods that are stored in ISS Freezers after pH testing is completed. Blood samples are drawn on the 5th and final day of each run and are put into MELFI (Minus Eighty Laboratory Freezer for ISS) as well. The full name of Pro-K is Dietary Intake Can Predict and Protect against Changes in Bone Metabolism during Spaceflight and Recovery. Acaba was also the subject of the periodic 30-min US PHS (Periodic Health Status)/Without Blood Labs exam, with Sunita Williams acting as CMO (Crew Medical Officer). He also underwent his third Periodic Fitness Evaluation spending 1.5 hours on the CEVIS cycle ergometer with constant BP (blood pressure) & ECG (electrocardiogram) monitoring. Sergei Revin completed his third Tipologia session. Commander Padalka and Flight Engineer Malenchenko completed Progress Undocking preparations by finishing cargo loading, removing air flow sensors, closing the hatches and performing the standard 1-hour leak check operation. The running “Identifikatsiya” Payload that records structural dynamics of ISS was serviced by Sergei Revin. FE-4 Malenchenko had another 2.5 hrs on his schedule for unloading the Soyuz Spacecraft and transferring equipment to ISS while Suni Williams had several hours to set up the RFx (Reversible Figures) Experiment Hardware inside the Columbus Module. RFx will investigate the adaptive nature of the human neuro-vestibular system in the processing of gravitational information related to 3D visual perception. The study is operated by the European Space Agency. Also inside Columbus, Williams configured the ESA integrated Cardiovascular Experiment and started her first 48-hour Ambulatory Monitoring session. The ESA-operated ICV Experiment involves periodic resting Echo Ultrasound-Scan and ambulatory monitoring sessions to evaluate the extent, time course, and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and identify its mechanisms. Once again, Hoshide and Acaba teamed up for more HTV Rendezvous and Grapple Training. Hoshide had ~1hr set aside to access and consolidate the Consumables Kit of the VO2max Experiment.

Photo: NASA

Later, Aki Hoshide also completed a session with the WinSCAT study. Williams and Hoshide filled out their Space Headache Questionnaires and fellow Soyuz crew member Yuri Malenchenko completed his first Interactions session. The crew completed more minor reconfiguration tasks before turning in for the day. Early on July 21, a Japanese H-IIB Rocket launched from Launch Pad 2 at the Tanegashima Space Center and successfully delivered H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 to orbit on its mission to link up with the Space Station for a busy resupply mission. HTV-3 will perform its Rendezvous on Friday, July 27 for a capture and berthing by the Station's Canadarm2. Fore more, visit the HTV3 Mission Updates Site.On Saturday, the crew supported ongoing experiments such as Pro-K and ICV. They also completed some maintenance tasks and the weekly 3-hour Uborka House Cleaning operation to keep the station's interior clean and in operating condition. They also had time for their private family conferences and the weekly planning conference with mission control centers around the world.Sunday was fairly quiet for the crew. Ongoing Science Operations were supported and the crew members were able to enjoy some free time. Towards the end of their day, the Crew Members supported the initial undocking of Progress M-15M to begin a 30-hour Undocking - Re-Docking Sequence to test the new KURS-NA Rendezvous System. More on these activities can be found on our M-15M Updates Site.

Soyuz TMA-05M arrives at ISS restoring the Expedition 32 Crew to Six

July 17, 2012

Soyuz TMA-05M has completed a successful docking to the International Space Station's Rassvet Module to restore the Space Station's Crew to six. Docking occurred on Tuesday, July 17, at 4:51 GMT marking the arrival of Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams and Akihiko Hoshide aboard the Orbiting Complex. With the Station Crew topped up to six, a busy period of ISS Operations lies ahead with a tight visiting vehicles schedule, two planned Spacewalks and ongoing Science Studies aboard the complex.

Expedition 32 Week 2: Preparing for three new Crew Members

July 15, 2012

Week 2 of International Space Station Expedition 32 was dedicated to ISS Science Operations, Maintenance and to getting the complex ready for a busy period of visiting vehicles. Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineers Sergei Revin and Joe Acaba have completed preparations for the upcoming Soyuz Docking and the arrival of H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 later this month. The crew of three is now waiting for the Arrival of Soyuz TMA-05M and the other half of the Expedition 32 Crew, Yuri Malenchenko, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide. Docking is set for Tuesday, July 17 at 4:52 GMT to restore the ISS crew to six. Week 2 of Increment 32 began on Monday, July 9, 2012 with nominal inspections of Systems that are done every week to make sure all subsystems are in operating condition. Joe Acaba started his week with periodic water sampling operations and the two Russian Crew Members spent three hours performing a regular maintenance task aboard the Russian Segment.

Photo: NASA

Padalka and Revin completed the STTS telephone/telegraph subsystem maintenance testing the intercom system and the VHF Communications Systems. They also performed an inventory of STTS components and returned the system to nominal operating mode after completing the tasks. The Russian Crew also had about 1 hour set aside to shoot more 'Chronicle' Footage for a documentary produced by Telecanal Roskosmos about daily life and operations aboard the Space Station. Working inside the Japanese Experiment Module, Joe Acaba readied the Binary Colloidal Alloy Test 6 Payload and initiated a run with a new sample. BCAT-6 is one of several materials science studies that are conducted aboard the station. The Objectives of BCAT-6 are to examine different conditions that result in entropically-driven colloidal crystallization, melting, self-organization, and phase separation of systems in a Zero G environment. BCAT 6 will advance our understanding of phase separation mechanisms that will lead to improved production processes on Earth. After completing the BCAT Set-Up Task, Acaba worked inside the three Nodes performing preventive maintenance by cleaning Air Filers and Ventilation Ducts. Sergei Revin had 90 minutes set aside to transfer trash and no-longer-needed items to Progress M-15M for disposal. Later, Revin serviced the running Matryoshka Radiation Detector Payload making sure data acquisition is still in progress. He also performed a session with the Seiner Earth Observation Study obtaining SONY HDV-Z7E camcorder footage and NIKON D3-U01 (f=80mm) imagery of color bloom patterns in the waters of the Central-Eastern Atlantic and coastal Africa. Padalka took photos of several Payloads for teams on the ground to assess and he continued preventive maintenance tasks aboard the Russian Segment. Joe Acaba concluded his work day with the set-up of the EarthKM payload in the Window Observation Research Facility for ground-operated acquisition of Earth Photography. He also had a time slot reserved for making entries in his electronic journal that is part of a psychological study conducted by NASA.

Photo: NASA

Photo: NASA

On Tuesday, Joe Acaba started with a RST Session. The Reaction Self Test involves two daily sessions with a computer application - once after getting up and once when the day's work is complete - to examine the effects fatigue has on crew members undergoing long duration space flights. Acaba serviced the EarthKAM Payload switching batteries and checking software performance. All three Crew Members gathered inside their Soyuz TMA-04M Spacecraft to perform the standard 3-hour Emergency Descent Drill which is conducted several times during a mission to keep the crew up to speed on Emergency Response Procedures. The exercise is conducted using a computer simulation and Sergei Revin and Gennady Padalka each had three Re-Entry Runs with data being logged and downlinked to the ground for assessment. Afterwards, Gennady Padalka worked inside ATV-3 changing out a failed cabin fan that failed earlier during ATV's docked mission. The fan will be returned to Earth for troubleshooting of the problem that occurred on all previous ATV Missions. Sergei Revin went looking for a missing SD Memory Card while Joe Acaba conducted a run with the Air Quality Monitor. Revin had two more hours for Progress Loading and Gennady Padalka completed some troubleshooting tasks on the Russian Vozdukh CO2 Removal Assembly that experienced a shutdown several days earlier. Acaba worked inside the Kibo Module servicing the Fluid Physics Experiment Facility / Marangoni Inside Payload switching image processing unit hard disks. He also completed HTV Arrival Preparations by working with Japanese Mission Controllers to check the Kibo Proximity Communications System. Padalka resumed inspection activities of Russian Segment Windows and he reconfigured different experiment payloads. Overnight, Progress M-15M Propellant Transfers were underway to prepare the vehicle for its departure later in July. On Wednesday, July 11, the Russian Crew Members joined to perform the IMMUNO Experiment in the morning before having breakfast. This study includes the acquisition and processing of blood and saliva samples and a stress test with associated questionnaires. Joe Acaba continued activities inside Kibo working together with the Tanegashima Space Center on checking out the PROX/Proximity Communication System in the ICS (Inter-Satellite Communication System) Rack for HTV3 arrival. Also inside JPM, Acaba performed a session with the SPHERES Experiment. SPHERES are two small microsatellites that are used aboard ISS to simulate vehicle maneuvers. Students developed the sequences that the two bowling-ball sized microsatellites were put through. These two small satellites are used to study maneuvers in space in miniature inside the ISS. To repair the failed Vozdukh, Gennady Padalka removed & replaced the vacuum pump which was diagnosed by RSC-Energia engineers to have been the cause of the machine’s shutdown. He also continued Window Inspections. Revin performed preventive maintenance operations, transferred condensate water and inspected the Russian Life Support System. To finish the work day, Joe Acaba completed his second On-Orbit Hearing Assessment. Gennady Padalka configured the Sonokard Sleep Study Hardware for an overnight sleep monitoring session using the compact Sonokard Hardware that is being evaluated as a time-efficient device to complete sleep studies in space.

On Thursday morning, Padalka terminated the Session and Sergei Revin reconfigured the Payload for his next overnight Sonokard run. Joe Acaba serviced the running EarthKAM Payload while Sergei Revin completed his next session with the Russian IMMUNO experiment. Joe Acaba supported Japanese Flight Controllers by conducting a self check of the HTV Control Panel that will be used for direct ISS to HTV Communications. The Commader performed the servicing of the Russian Harmful Impurities Removal System by starting its regular bake-out cycle. Fellow Cosmonaut Sergei Revin set up the “Relaksatsiya” Earth Observation Payload in one of the windows. All three Crew Members joined forces to complete Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 Cargo Operations and beginning vehicle close-out procedures by installing rack adapter plates. Later, Joe Acaba worked inside the US lab performing a session of the BASS Experiment in the Microgravity Science Glovebox. BASS stands for Burning and Suppression of Solids and uses SLICE Hardware to examine solid fuel samples and flame behavior in space leading to better combustion technology, both on Earth and in Space as well as better strategies for extinguishing accidental fires in micro-G. Padalka and Revin performed inspections and servicing of several payloads and systems on the Russian side including more window inspections. Acaba performed clean-up operations inside Kibo, filled out his Food Frequency Questionnaire and made entries in its electronic journal. Friday the 13th was another day dedicated to ISS Science Operations and maintenance. After wake-up, Revin terminated his Sonokard Session that was active overnight. Acaba serviced the EarthKAM Payload and joined up with Gennady Padalka to perform the SPRUT-2 Experiment which looks at distribution and behavior of human body fluids in zero gravity. The experiment hardware includes skin electrodes and a securing harness as well as software to record data.

During the 5-minute data acquisition period, the crewmembers has to be at complete rest not making any movements. Joe Acaba then had three hours for a thorough clean-up of the starboard US Crew Quarters. Padalka and Revin completed the 30-minute NASA On-Orbit hearing Assessment. Resuming ongoing inspections, Sergei Revin spent several hours looking at different windows on the Russian Segment taking still imagery of areas of interest. In preparation for the arrival of Soyuz TMA-05M, Gennady Padalka set up the video system to record the Final Approach and Docking and checked the TV Communications System. The running “Identifikatsiya” Payload that records structural dynamics of ISS was serviced by Sergei Revin. Joe Acaba did some inventory tasks and clean-up activities while the Russian Crew Members spent an hour shooting 'Chronicle' Footage. Afterwards, they continued preventive maintenance efforts. As per usual procedures, the crew had their weekly tagups with Flight Directors of Control Centers around the world discussing current activities and upcoming events. The Weekend aboard ISS was fairly quiet and the crew enjoyed some off-duty time. They supported ongoing ISS Science Operations such as EarthKAM and RST, and they performed daily inspection and servicing tasks. Also, the crew joined forces to perform the standard Uborka House Cleaning Task that takes them about 3 hours. They cleaned often touched surfaces and removed no-longer-needed items from the work space to keep the interior of ISS in perfect condition. All crew members had their private family conferences. On Sunday, the second half of the Expedition 32 crew climbed aboard their Soyuz TMA-05M Spacecraft atop a Soyuz FG Launcher and blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Soyuz FG performed a flawless ascent mission and the three Crew Members, Yuri Malenchenko, Suni Williams and Aki Hoshide have started their two-day journey to ISS. Docking is set for Tuesday. Visit the TMA-05M Mission Updates site for more information and running coverage.

Photo: NASA

Station-bound Trio safely in Orbit after Flawless Soyuz Launch

July 15, 2012

The next trio of International Space Station Residents is on its way after the successful launch of Soyuz TMA-05M. The Soyuz FG Launch Vehicle with the Spacecraft hidden inside its Launch Shroud blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 2:40 GMT and completed a nominal Ascent Mission to deliver the TMA-05M Spacecraft to Orbit. With Soyuz TMA-05M safely in orbit, teams are now gearing up for docking on Tuesday, July 17.

Progress M-15M gears up for Re-Docking Sequence for Systems Testing

July 12, 2012

_Preparations
are underway to kick off the busy Visiting Vehicle Traffic planned for International Space
Station Expedition 32. After the Launch and Docking of Soyuz TMA-05M that is
currently sitting at the Launch Pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, awaiting Liftoff
on July 15 with three ISS Residents, the Progress M-15M Spacecraft will perform
a Undocking – Re-Docking Maneuver.

ISS Expedition 32 Crew completes first Week of Operations

July 8, 2012

_The first
week of International Space Station Expedition 32 was dedicated to Space
Station Maintenance and Science Operations. The crew of three had some off-duty
time as part of the US Independence Day on July 4, but were generally very busy
as they are waiting for the arrival of the other half of the Increment 32 crew
later in July. Visit the Soyuz TMA-05M Mission Updates Page for all details
about the upcoming Soyuz Launch planned for July 15 with docking on the 17th.The Week
began with the Reaction Self Test for the single USOS Crew Member, Joe Acaba,
who completed a short 5-minute test with a computer application just after
waking up in the morning and before going to bed when the day’s work was
complete. RST investigates the effects fatigue has on crew members completing
long duration space flights. This was part of a special daily series of RST
Tests for Acaba to examine the effects the sleep cycle shift for the Soyuz
TMA-03M Undocking had on him.

Photo: NASA

__Space Station Commander Gennady Padalka completed
the regular checks of various systems around the Russian Segment that are
checked out every Monday. Since schedules were tight over the weekend, Padalka
and Revin joined forces to perform the Uborka House Cleaning Task. This weekly,
3-hour operation is usually done on weekend days. The two crew members cleaned
often touched surfaces and removed trash and no longer needed items from the
work space and completed other minor house-keeping tasks. Joe Acaba opened the
protective window shutters of the Lab WORF (Window Observational Research
Facility), supported Combustion Integrated Rack Ground Controlled Science
Operations, loaded new software into Medical Support Computers and he performed
an Air Sampling Run with the Air Quality Monitor Payload. Acaba also inspected
the six vial assemblies of the InSPACE-3 (Investigating the Structure of
Paramagnetic Aggregates from Colloidal Emulsions 3) Science Payload that was
delivered to ISS back on Mission STS-134 – the final flight of Space Shuttle
Endeavour. Flight Engineers Joe Acaba completed an end-to-end communications
test of the Smartphone for the SPHERES (Synchronized Position Hold, Engage,
Reorient, Experimental Satellites) experiment using new application software.
SPHERES are two small microsatellites that are used aboard the Station to
study maneuvers in space in miniature inside the ISS. The two Russian Crew
Members supported a PAO event and took care of more inspections and set-up
tasks to finish their work day.

Photo: NASA

Above: The two SPHERES

Photo: NASA

_On Tuesday, July 3, Acaba started with
another RST Session and he completed a session with the BASS Study in the
Microgravity Science Glovebox in the Destiny Laboratory. BASS Stands for
Burning and Suppression of Solids and is a suite of pyrometry experiments
examining flame properties and combustion in Zero-G. Solid Samples are used for
this study instead of liquid propellants that were required for the SLICE
Study. Afterwards, Acaba inspected the BCAT-6 (Binary Colloidal Alloy Test-6) and its
current Harvard Sample 5 looking for signs of phase separation. For
that, he used a collimated LED beam to look for any hazy or granularity in the
samples. BCAT-6 is one of several materials science studies that are conducted
aboard the station. Revin and Acaba joined up to complete an inspection of the
ARED Exercise Device Rope that exceeded itst certified life to make sure it can
be used for more exercise procedures until spares are available. New ropes will
be delivered on the next Soyuz Spacecraft. Gennady Padalka completed
maintenance tasks on the Russian Side. Other tasks completed on Tuesday include
inspections, water transfers, daily servicing tasks and medical conferences as
well as a PAO Event. On Tuesday, Russian Ground Controllers tested the KURS-P
and KURS-NA System of the Progress M-15M Spacecraft that will demonstrate the
new NP System later in July making a Undocking – Re-Docking Maneuver. The test
was done to make sure the new KURS System was in operating condition after the
vehicle’s Navigation System was re-wired by Gennady Padalka some time ago.Wednesday,
July 4 – Independence Day – was a quiet day for the crew. They were essentially
off duty all day, but supported ongoing activities such as the RST Experiment
Series of Joe Acaba. Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin had ~30 min set aside for
a joint familiarization review of installation procedures for the new Russian
SUBA BKIPN Payload Interface Control Unit/computer which will replace the BSMM
Payload Matching Unit (Multiplex Bus Synchronization Unit) in the Service
Module. Acaba later performed a ham radio session with participants at the Cirqiniq
Summer Camp, Kuujjuaq, Quebec (Nunavik), Canada.

_Thursday
started once again with the Reaction Self Test for Joe Acaba. Gennady Padalka
started a major inflight maintenance task on the Russian Segment of replacing
the Russian BSMM Payload Matching Unit (Multiplex Bus Synchronization Unit) in
the SM with the new SUBA BKIPN (Payload Interface Control Unit). This operation
is part of the ongoing SUBA Upgrade that began earlier during Expedition 31.
Sergei Revin assisted Padalka during the operation. Also working maintenance,
Joe Acaba was busy with Waste & Hygiene Compartment component removals and
replacements. Sergei Revin worked with the Countermeasure System checking for
CO (Carbon Monoxide), Formaldehyde and Ammonia contamination, and later, used
the BAOK GANK Real-Time Monitoring Analyzer for measuring concentration of
harmful contaminants in the Air of the Russian Segment. The entire crew came
together for a 70-minute Emergency Drill rehearsing ISS emergency response
procedures. After the drill, the crew tagged up with specialists on the ground.
To finish his work day, Joe Acaba filled out his Food Frequency and Space
Headache Questionnaires that are part of ongoing ISS Studies. Padalka completed
a session with the ‘Interactions’ Study that
looks at psychological aspects of long duration space flight during which
different cultures come together aboard a Spacecraft such as ISS. Revin took
care of water transfer operations and he completed the daily Inventory
Maintenance System Maintenance,

_After completing the RST protocol, Joe
Acaba completed a busy work day on Friday. He set up the HTV Control Panel in
preparation for the arrival of H-II Transfer Vehicle 3 later this month,
changed the full Recycle
Filter Tank Assembly in the Node-3 WRS-2 (Water Recovery System) and completed
troubleshooting of the COLBERT Treadmill Pacebook wireless issue. Working
inside the Quest Airlock, Acaba performed the routine maintenance of the Space
Station Extravehicular Mobility Units that are kept in operating condition in
readiness for any contingency Spacewalks. He also prepared Crew Provisions for
the upcoming ISS USOS Residents Sunita Williams and Aki Hoshide. Also, Acaba
completed the 30-day inspection of the Automated External Defibrillator of ISS
and he updated software related to Environmental Health System Total Organic
Carbon Analyzer on Water Recovery System 1. On Friday, the two Russian
Cosmonauts completed their first session of the Russian MO-5 MedOps protocol of
cardiovascular evaluation in the below-the-waist reduced-pressure device on the
Russian VELO ergometer, assisting each other in turn as Crew Medical Officer.
This 50-minute assessment uses a biomed harness, skin electrodes and a blood
pressure and rheoplethysmograph cuff wired to the cycle ergometer's
instrumentation panels to examine the cosmonaut’s response to
gravity-simulating stress to the body’s cardiovascular/circulatory system.
Later, Sergei Revin worked maintenance procedures on the Russian Space Toiled
Facility and he completed Progress Cargo Operations. Gennady Padalka conducted
nominal ISS Housekeeping Operations such as inspections, water transfers and
the checkout of air flow sensors on the Russian Side. To complete his work day,
Sergei Revin performed his 3rd Interactions Session.
The weekend aboard the Space Station was fairly
quiet. On Saturday, the three crew members joined for the Uborka House
Cleaning
Task. While completing the operation, Revin and Padalka performed
maintenance inspections & cleaning procedures of fan screens in the
Zarya
Module and Acaba conducted the weekly inspection and maintenance on the
Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus 4 and 5. Acaba also took
close out
photos of cargo lockers inside the Automated Transfer Vehicle 3 Cargo
Compartment.

Photo: NASA

_Later, Acaba worked inside the Kibo Module High Rate Data
Multiplexer & Switcher patch cable connections for the Multi-mission
Consolidated Equipment Payload that is planned to arrive aboard HTV-3.
Padalka
took care of water sampling and transfer operations. The crew was
off-duty on
Sunday and all of them had the opportunity of their private video
conferences
with their families and friends.

Expedition 32 underway after the Return of a Trio of ISS Residents

July 1, 2012

Photo: NASA

Soyuz TMA-03M and its three International Space Station Expedition 30/31 Crew Members, Commander Oleg Kononenko and Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers, successfully landed at the Steppes of Kazakhstan on Sunday, July 1, 2012. The trio of ISS Residents undocked aboard their Soyuz at 4:47 GMT on Sunday, completed two-and-a-half hours of free flight and re-entered the atmosphere making a successful Touchdown to conclude a 193-day Space Flight. This successful Undocking and Landing of the Soyuz Vehicle also marked the end of International Space Station Expedition 31 and the start of Station Increment 32 that begins with a crew of three until the Soyuz TMA-05M Spacecraft is launched on July 15 and arrives at the Space Station on the 17th delivering Yuri Malenchenko, Sunita Williams and Akihiko Hoshide to ISS for their long duration mission. For full coverage and background Information, please visit our Expedition 32 Section and the extensive preview.